In March 2011, when a fire broke out at Bandra’s Garib Nagar slum which has 2,000 shanties, it was the makeshift material of the houses that played a vital role in saving lives. Today, the slum boasts of pucca homes made of bricks, strong walls and towers of three floors, which will make rescue operations difficult in case of another fire.

Garib Nagar slum area as it stands today, with two to three storey houses made of pucca brick walls